1
as in restraint
the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others
in civilized society people do not just say or do whatever they feel like—they exercise some constraint
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restriction
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice
put legal constraints on the board's activities
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
parental constraint can take several different forms, including a denial of the approval that children usually seek from their parents
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of constraint
The controls add to existing constraints placed on China's chipmakers throughout the supply chain, meant to delay rather than deny its research and development in the field by a generation or more.
—
Micah McCartney, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
The absence of constraints on Israel has left Palestinians ever more vulnerable.
—Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 22 Jan. 2025
This is a job that has a lot of bosses and a lot of constraints.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025
And there’s another who won’t change their habits due to the constraints of their budget or a lack of interest.
—Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for constraint 
Micah McCartney, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
The absence of constraints on Israel has left Palestinians ever more vulnerable.
—Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 22 Jan. 2025
This is a job that has a lot of bosses and a lot of constraints.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025
And there’s another who won’t change their habits due to the constraints of their budget or a lack of interest.
—Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for constraint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constraint
Noun
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The Department of Education has said in its restraint and seclusion resource document there is no evidence restraint and seclusion reduce problem behaviors.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
26 Jan. 2025
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The tether, or rope, is a restraint tool, according to the report.—
Julia Marnin,
Sacramento Bee,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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His stance represents a stark contrast to the Biden administration's pause on LNG export approvals and restrictions on federal land drilling.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
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And while big deferrals and signing bonuses are tools available for any team to use in contract negotiations — MLB’s collective bargaining agreement places no restrictions on either in contracts — there’s a reason the Dodgers have been uniquely positioned to capitalize upon it with such regularity.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Not everybody goes through this intense amount of pressure, and on such a scale and in such a spotlight.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
27 Jan. 2025
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Economists have warned that Trump’s plans for tariffs and tax cuts could create new inflationary pressures and keep interest rates elevated.—
Josh Boak,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2025
Noun
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His biggest flaws, like gap discipline, can be coached up.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Jan. 2025
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Saturn, on the other hand, brings the energy of discipline, structure and accountability to the mystical realm of Pisces.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This is all down to memory-bandwidth limitations on the Nvidia cards, due to their 128-bit interface.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
25 Jan. 2025
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Panda problems and limitations In 1984, China began allowing its pandas to be hosted abroad in 10-year loan periods and required an annual fee ($1 million US dollars).—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The compulsion stems from what customers are accustomed to and demand nowadays and the reality of how sophisticated, lithe and ubiquitous tech has become.—
Nitin Rakesh,
Forbes,
9 Jan. 2025
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Yet Payton, a 61-year-old man in his 17th season as an NFL head coach, resisted the compulsion to tweak.—
Michael Silver,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
Noun
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For Evie, the attraction is tied to childhood repression.—
Daniel Fienberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
17 Jan. 2025
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Presiding over the Maldives from 1978 to 2008, Gayoom set the tone for the current levels of political repression.—
Rob Crossan,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Two of them were responsible for overexpression in the cellular differentiation process, while one was responsible for inhibition.—
Michael Franco,
New Atlas,
26 Dec. 2024
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Carbonic anhydrase inhibition ameliorates tau toxicity via enhanced tau secretion.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near constraint
Cite this Entry
“Constraint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constraint. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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